Chapter Text
The house was silent when Satsuki arrived home from school. Ryuko was in detention and wouldn’t be home for another hour, and Nui’s school didn’t get out until three thirty. With a sigh, Satsuki tossed her book bag onto the dining room table and pulled out her math textbook. She narrowed her eyes and got to work, her face mere inches away from her homework as she struggled to read the text.
It wasn’t an unusual occurrence, in fact, Satsuki couldn’t see very well normally. She had masked her lack of sight well, sitting in the very front of the classroom, not volunteering to read in front of the class, even memorizing the road maps so she could drive to and from school. Her hand flew across the paper as she hurriedly answered the questions her book presented.
“You know,” Her father’s voice rang through the room as he wandered in. “If you want ink on your nose, you can always ask Nui for a sharpie.”
Satsuki bolted upright and looked up a Soichiro, who was sporting a good natured grin. “You’re home early, Dad.” She said, glancing down at her nearly finished math homework.
“Nope, right on time.” Soichiro glanced at his watch, a frown forming. “Time flies when you’re having fun, right?”
Satsuki rolled her eyes and grabbed her things off of the table. “Ryuko should be home in a couple minutes.”
“You’re not picking her up today?”
“If she wants to be a tough guy, she might as well exercise so she doesn’t get beaten up.”
“Someone’s being harsh.” Soichiro chuckled, leaning against the wall. “Do we need to have a talk?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Satsuki turned her heel and made her way up the stairs.
Soichiro watched as his daughter grasped at the hand rail for a moment before actually being able to hold it. He frowned for a moment, only to turn his attention toward the door after he heard it slam. Ryuko’s trademark heavy footsteps could be heard from the living room as she stomped into the house.
“How was school?” Soichiro asked when she entered the kitchen, which was connected to the dining room, and grabbed an opened bag of chips. “I heard you had detention.”
“What else is new?” Ryuko rolled her eyes as she tossed a couple chips into her mouth.
“Have you ever tried, you know, not fighting?” Soichiro asked, his frown deepening when Ryuko put the chips down.
“Never crossed my mind.” She said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she walked to the stairs. “I have to go check on some hornets.”
“On what?”
“Calm down, old man. I won’t get caught.”
“Hornets?” Soichiro muttered to himself, as he walked into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.
“I’m ho-ome!” Nui’s voice rang out as she and Ragyo walked in through the back door.
“Hello, ladies.” Soichiro grinned at the two of them. “How were your days?”
“I almost got in trouble for throwing rocks at a beehive for Ryuko.” Nui replied as she skipped into the house.
“Oh.” Ragyo and Soichiro shared a glance before Soichiro mouthed ‘I’ll tell you later.’
“Why don’t you go check on your goldfish?” Ragyo suggested, crossing her arms and looking at her husband.
“Yeah, okay!” Nui nodded, running to the stairs.
“You replaced her living goldfish with a dead one, right?” Ragyo asked the moment Nui was out of earshot.
“The moment you both left for school.” Soichiro nodded, leaning against the counter.
“And the bees?” She asked, her brows furrowing.
“Ryuko has some hornets in her room.”
“Why?”
“I did not ask.”
“Why?”
“She said she wouldn’t get in trouble.”
“So we’re just letting her have hornets in her bedroom?”
“She’s probably going to do something with them.”
“And you’re curious to see what?”
“We both know she’s going to find more hornets if we make her get rid of these ones.”
“Or she’d find wasps.”
“See? We’ll ground her after it backfires and she comes home covered in bee stings.”
“Do you have the exterminators on standby?”
“I’m calling after dinner.”
“Good man.”
Satsuki sighed as she closed her history textbook. She was finally finished with all of her homework, she glanced at the clock. And it was only four thirty. With a sigh, she stood and walked across the hall to Ryuko’s bedroom. She opened the door without knocking and glanced around.
Ryuko was sitting on her bed playing her Nintendo DS, her backpack had been dumped out onto the floor. Or at least that’s what it looked like. Her desk was empty save for a sealed cardboard box with a pillow case over it.
"What is that?" Satsuki asked, glancing at the box sitting atop Ryuko's desk.
"Box of hornets." Ryuko replied cooly, not looking up from her Nintendo DS.
"Why?"
"That tennis bitch called me trash, so I'm gonna put a box of hornets in her car tomorrow."
"I don't know anything about this." Satsuki sighed as she turned away, only to think differently and step inside the room fully.
“Yes?” Ryuko raised an eyebrow irritably.
“I have a student council meeting before school tomorrow.” Satsuki said, crossing her arms. “If you still want me to drive you, you’ll have to get up early.”
Ryuko groaned and threw her head back. “Why do you do this to me!?” She muttered.
“Because I hate you.” Satsuki replied quickly. “Make sure you don’t leave finger prints on your bees.”
“I wear gloves when I handle the box.” Ryuko grunted, jerking her head toward a pair of rubber gloves on her nightstand. “Stole ‘em from the bio lab.”
“Where did you get the hornets?”
“You don’t know anything, remember?”
“Hypothetically,” Satsuki sighed, glancing back at the box. “If one were to acquire a box of hornets, how would one go about doing so?”
“Toss a bunch of rocks at a nest with a box waiting under it.” Ryuko replied with a haughty grin. “But one shouldn’t bring their ten year old sister along because she’d probably be a little snitch. Or keep throwing rocks at trees.”
Satsuki furrowed her brow and frowned.
“Do you ever think about your decisions and wonder why you follow through with these idiotic ideas?” Satsuki asked, ducking when Ryuko threw her DS at her. “Like that?”
“Give me my shit back!” Ryuko grunted.
“No.” Satsuki turned her heel and left.
“Fucking bitch!” Ryuko shouted at her sister’s back.
.
“Then Mataro had to be a wimp about things and NOT light the fireworks and I was just standing there looking like an idiot!” Ryuko finished her story, shoveling a mouthful of food into her mouth.
“… I don’t understand how this has anything to do with you getting an A on your math test.” Ragyo said after a moment of silence.
“That’s what I was doing instead of studying.”
“Why would you tell us that?” Soichiro asked, looking over to Satsuki. “Did you know about this?”
“I try to distance myself from everything the beast does.” Satsuki replied with a frown as she stood. “I’m finished.”
“Can you put my steak in a bag for me?” Nui asked as Satsuki took her plate into the kitchen. “I’m going to give it to my dog when mom and dad give me one.”
“No.” Satsuki shook her head.
“Honey, I don’t think a dog would want refrigerated steak.” Ragyo sighed, looking at Soichiro pointedly. “And are you sure that your goldfish is even alive, still?”
“Well, I checked on her today, and she was alive.” Nui shrugged, looking at Ryuko. “Do you think my dog would want steak?”
“I think your dog would want you to shut up.”
“Mom!” Nui whined, looking to Ragyo.
“Ryuko, be nice to your sister.” Soichiro sighed, watching as Satsuki walked toward the stairs. “Hey, Sats! Can you do me a favor?”
“What do you need?” Satsuki furrowed her brow and looked at her father.
“Can you tell me what I have planned on the calendar for Monday?”
Satsuki nodded and looked toward the calendar on the other side of the room. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned when she had to take a few steps forward. Then a few steps more. Ryuko turned her head slightly and read the calendar by herself before frowning at her older sister, who was now closer than she was.
“Dude, you need glasses.” She announced, making Nui giggle.
“Don’t be stupid.” Satsuki rolled her eyes, leaning forward slightly.
“I made an appointment with the optometrist today.” Ragyo sighed, glancing at Satsuki. “It’s tomorrow after school. You’re going no matter what.”
Satsuki glared at her mother but said nothing.
“It’ll be easier to judge me if you can tell what direction to glare in.” Ryuko grinned, making Satsuki turn her glare into her direction. “I’m just saying.”
“It’ll be much easier to see your stink fumes.” Satsuki grunted, turning her heel and walking away.
“I don’t smell that bad.” Ryuko muttered to herself.
“Deodorant never hurt anyone.” Nui replied, making Ryuko glare. “Except that time I licked it…”
“Nui, don’t lick hygiene products.” Soichiro sighed, shaking his head.
“It was one time!” Nui looked at Ryuko, pointing an accusatory finger. “She made me!”
“Wow.” Ryuko stood up and turned to leave the room. “Wow.”
“I can see just fine, Mother.” Satsuki muttered, crossing her arms.
Ragyo just gave her eldest daughter a withering look. Satsuki glared back at her, her lip curling slightly as they pulled into the parking lot. Not sparing her daughter another glance, Ragyo climbed out of the car, hitting the roof to signal Satsuki to get out.
“You’ll thank me later.” Ragyo sighed as Satsuki stomped into the office.
“Just like Ryuko thanked you for the braces?”
“She would have been more thankful if she hadn’t tried to rip out her braces with pliers.”
Satsuki tried to hold back her chuckle but failed.
“Now, can we please get your eyes checked?” Ragyo sighed, clapping Satsuki on the shoulder.
Satsuki scowled, shrugging off her hand and walking up to the counter.
“You look like a nerd.” Ryuko grinned, pointing at Satsuki’s thick framed glasses. “… Okay, a bigger nerd than usual.”
Satsuki didn’t listen to her sister as she continued to glance around the living room. “Is this how you see usually?” She mumbled to herself. “Ryuko, you’re actually very beautiful.”
“Fuck you.” Ryuko grumbled, changing the station on the TV.
“I’m sorry?” Satsuki looked over at Ryuko with a frown. “Did I say something to offend you?”
“So, like, did you just see blurry blobs or something?” Ryuko asked, sitting up slightly.
“It’s hard to explain.” Satsuki sat down on the sofa, looking out the window. “But I never really knew that there were actually leaves on the trees. It always just looked like one singular mass.”
“Weird.”
“I wonder what my friends actually look like.”
“You’ll just turn around and walk away tomorrow. They’re ugly as hell.”
“I doubt that.” Satsuki leaned back and glanced at Ryuko.